The Food and Allied Workers' Union (Fawu) is concerned about SA Breweries' envisaged black economic empowerment (BEE) transaction, it said on Wednesday.

In a statement, the union said although it welcomed the engagement process with SAB management on the transaction, it was concerned the deal would "perpetuate inequalities within SAB and in society".

The transaction affects about 50 000 retailers of SAB beer and soft drinks products and 9500 SAB employees.

However, Fawu was concerned about the spread of unit-holding of the employee share stake portion of the deal.

"We do not find it acceptable for the company to use remuneration packages as the basis for the distribution of units within the employee share stake (ESOP), given the high ratio of 10:1 or more in remuneration disparities.

"For example, if a black manager earns R70 000 a month, he will get ten times more units for very single unit held by an employee earning R7000 a month."

Fawu said if an employee who earned R7000 received a unit of R100 000 worth of shares, a black manager earning R70 000 would get 10 times the units with a total of R1-million worth of shares.

"This, in our view, reinforces disparities of asset ownership in society and inequitable distribution of income in SAB.

"The net effect will be that few hundred black managers will see elite enrichment at the expense of meaningful mass empowerment of the almost ten thousands of all employees from this transaction."

Fawu added it did not accept that those employees who retired or were retrenched during the "lock-in" period of 10 years should be part-disqualified from fully benefiting in the transaction.

"For now, the union and the company will be continuing with engagement," Fawu said, adding it hoped that the parties would reach an agreement.

"Meanwhile, the union has written letters requesting meetings with Foodcorp, Pioneer Foods, KWV and Tiger Brands to discuss their BEE transactions and our concerns thereof," Fawu said.

SAB could not be immediately be reached for comment.